No More To-do Lists: Reduce Stress, Increase Productivity
I’m on record as a critic of to-do lists – I’ve even recommended “to-don’t lists” instead. I have good reasons for my dislike, too, and I know that many share this aversion.
The question is, what’s the alternative? Some of us really do have a lot on their plates, and not all of it is optional or can be “downsized”. Fear not, I’m not recommending a life of idleness.
It would be great to live only by our inner clocks, but most of my Wild Spirits aren’t independently wealthy, and in today’s world, we do need a way to track appointments and the like. Otherwise, a lack of organisation can turn into a stress factor in and of itself.
Here’s how to reduce stress and increase productivity with no to-do list in sight.
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But I love writing lists!
What’s wrong with a to-do list anyway? It seems such a practical tool for keeping track of your tasks. Whatever you’ve accomplished, you tick off, and the rest of the items on the list roll over to the next day every evening.
However, it’s just this endless nature of to-do lists that makes them problematic. They are the perfect expression of our stress-fuelled world whose motto isn’t just “bigger, better, faster, more” but also “never enough, never content, never done”.
I always feel like grandpops talking about the war when I tell younger people that there was a time when we weren’t always “on”. Shops closed at six. The TV program finished around midnight. You could play the music you owned on records or tapes, but you couldn’t go online to find new songs on Spotify or YouTube or chat with someone half a world away (unless you wanted an astronomical phone bill).
Honestly? I hardly remember myself what it was like. What I do know is that I wasn’t as stressed as I became after ca. 2005 when the internet and social media took off in a big way (think Facebook, YouTube and online streaming). Before, it was normal that I couldn’t talk to everyone I loved whenever I wanted to; that I couldn’t see every movie, hear every song that I chose at the drop of a hat.
This is why a to-do list is problematic nowadays. Back then, work and availability stopped at some point. These days, rolling over items from the to-do list to the next day gives us the nagging feeling that we “should” continue, that we failed to complete the work. This contributes to our overall feeling of stress and loss of control.
How to reduce stress: Long-term planning
Let’s get to what you could do instead of keeping a to-do list. After all, we all have things we need to keep track of, from birthdays to dentist appointments or parent evenings at school for those of us with kids. Kids in general generate huge numbers of appointments, from doctor’s visits to music lessons or sports practice.
For all these things I recommend a calendar. A calendar is best for two types of events:
Recurring events (weekly training, monthly meetings, birthdays etc.).
Anything that’s planned more than a day in advance, such as a dentist appointment.
Some people still swear on their hardcopy planner and/or the family calendar on the kitchen wall. It that’s what works for you, knock yourself out! It’s many times better than adding appointments to a to-do list. The advantage is obvious, as you automatically also see the date and time of your appointments.
I’m a fan of online calendars to increase productivity. It’s just so handy to whip out my phone and tap once to add a new appointment, and because the calendars are synchronised across my devices, I’ll be able to see that appointment later on when I’m on the PC. I never need to transfer birthdays or other recurring events. It’s the ultimate lazy person’s tool – highly recommended!
How to increase productivity: Day planning
Now we’re getting to the juicy stuff. This is where the magic truly happens. Let me present to you the stress-free, joyful alternative to the tyranny of to-do lists: Day planning with priorities.
Before you stop working (including in the household) in the evening, take five minutes to plan the following day. If all else fails – this obviously depends on your work and your situation – you can also do this first thing in the morning.
Write down any tasks you may have, including appointments, deadlines, any projects you intend to work on, as well as things like rest and pursuing your passion. Be thorough.
Then, pick between one and three priorities for the day. No, you don’t get to say: “But they’re all priorities!” They’re not. Two is a good number to aim for, but if you’re superwoman or -man, be my guest and pick three.
Underline, highlight, or re-write the priority items on top of the list.
When these two items are completed, you have successfully achieved your intention that day. The rest of the items are icing. Yes, you should do them too, but if any of them falls through or doesn’t get completed, it’s okay. Shit happens.
What this technique achieves
You may be skeptical and wonder how this is any different from a classic to-do list. Well, first of all it’s a daily list that gets to be re-done every morning (or ideally, the previous evening).
Secondly, and most importantly, it allows you to focus on “first things first” by highlighting what’s truly important among all the clutter of daily tasks. Rather than getting lost in a mountain of emails to be dealt with, you’ll keep your eye on the ball.
The other effect this technique has is even more powerful. Because it gets you to write down every task, even those you deem unimportant and “quick”, you’ll get an accurate idea of how many things you actually accomplish every day. This is a true eye-opener.
When I first introduced this system, I couldn’t believe how much I was doing each day. No wonder I often felt rushed and didn’t get to complete everything I’d set out to do, even after thinking a day would be “slow”! I truly understood how much I got done and felt a lot better about myself.
As a consequence, it was much easier for myself to truly slow down and say “no” more often. This tool will enable you to get a more realistic idea of what your daily tasks are, and it’s the basis for actually downsizing and creating more room for what’s important.
Try it! You’ll be surprised.